


Starlight

by agentbranski



Series: ✰ ☽ Birds and Words ☾ ✰ [1]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: first date cuteness ahead!, not nsfw yet but we'll get there, still no category tags for enby ppl but this is romantic asf dont b fooled
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23110444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentbranski/pseuds/agentbranski
Summary: Elliott manages to score a date with Bloodhound, now he just has to figure out where its at.
Relationships: Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Series: ✰ ☽ Birds and Words ☾ ✰ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661149
Comments: 11
Kudos: 85





	1. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS (a prologue of sorts)

The first thing Mirage remembered was a glint on the hilltops in the distance. It was only there for a moment before it was gone. The man smiled in acknowledgement.  _ Bloodhound. _ He’d been keeping an eye on the hunter during the past few games and something he’d noticed was that moments before someone was mercilessly sniped from across the map, there was an innocuous flicker of light across the horizon. The shimmer was so slight, he thought he was going crazy at first. It wasn’t until he’d caught sight of it on a replay to confirm his theory. He raised his hand and waved to the direction of the glimmer.  _ Wonder what the chances are they see me? _

The next thing Mirage remembered was a sharp pain in his hand… And then nothing at all.

Elliott woke up in the infirmary some hours later. The game was long over, his team having been unable to respawn him went on lose in the fourth ring. Fifth place. Elliott watched the ceiling fan above him whirl around slowly. He squeezed his eyes shut. The sight was making him dizzy, worsening his already splitting headache. 

“Ah, you are awake at last,” a smooth voice rumbled at his side. Elliott cracked an eye open to see Bloodhound sitting at the side of his bed. The man smiled, he watched the hunter tilt their head before they continued, “I wanted to speak with you.”

“What?” he finally replied, shifting in the bed to slowly sit himself up, “Hang on for a sec, I need a moment to process being alive again.”

“Right,” Bloodhound nodded, sitting back in their seat, “Of course. Take all the time you need.”

At first Elliott was expecting them to leave the room, but instead they stayed put their hands on their lap as they waited. Elliott glanced around the room, the silence beginning to eat at him. “Uh… Well, what did you want to talk about?” he finally asked, caving out of anxiety.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“Oh yeah? What for?”

“For shooting you.”

The man chuckled and shook his head, “Aw buddy don’t worry about it. It’s part of the game, right?”

“Yes… And I am happy that it was not fatal, bless the  _ ich lüge _ … But I was not aware you were…  _ waving  _ to me,” Bloodhound spoke, each part of their sentence leaving their mouth with some trouble, “I simply thought you had the sun in your eyes.”

“Oh, so you saw that?”

“I did.”

Elliott felt his face get warm, he went to rub the back of his neck and winced as a sharp pain shot through his hand.  _ Oh. Right. _ The bullet had gone right through his hand during the game and nailed him in the head. The swelling was so severe he could barely form a fist with his right hand. The man swallowed. “I guess that was my bad, huh? Waving to a sniper probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do.”

“No. I’d say it wasn’t,” they agreed, “May I ask… How did you know I was there?”

“You glimmered,” Elliott said confidently, a smile breaking across his face as he looked back over to the hunter, “When you line up your shots sometimes your gun reflects the sunlight. I’ve seen it a few times, you never miss.” Bloodhound didn’t immediately respond. They brought a hand to their chin and looked away. A pang of guilt twisted the man’s gut, had he embarrassed them? “I-It’s not super obvious or anything! I only noticed because I’ve been watchi-wa-uh- I mean…” The hunter looked back up. “Why did you want to apologize?” Elliott asked, quickly changing the subject.

“As I said, I wasn’t aware you knew my location, and upon replay it looked… Cruel. As some have said…”

“Replay? They’re making it a highlight?”

Bloodhound nodded, looking solemnly to their feet.

“Well that’s gonna be fun for the both of us,” he sighed, leaning back against the bed. A highlight of him getting annihilated was never his favorite experience and, judging from how they usually handled press, Bloodhound wasn’t a fan of being a highlight, period. “Hey, you don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances with me alright? No hard feelings.” He watched as the hunters shoulders relaxed, the sight made him grin. “How about we go out to eat?” Just as fast Bloodhound had relaxed, they tensed up just as quickly at the question. “Uh I mean, if you want to.”

They paused for a moment, their gloved hands toying with the tracker fastened to their arm. “Yes.”

“What? Really?” he couldn’t believe it, they wouldn’t look up to meet his eyes.

“Yes.”

Mirage laughed, “Wow you really do feel bad huh.”

“Just between us, alright? I do not wish to make this a public venture, I hope you understand.”

Elliott nodded eagerly, “Yeah yeah sure thing! Don’t worry about it. Our secret.” The man winked and the hunter sighed. They might have agreed out of guilt, but a yes was a yes. Elliott had fought alongside Bloodhound for the last two years as fellow legends and still he knew next to nothing about them. No one did. Getting them to agree to a dinner was a landslide better than anything he’d gotten out of them so far.

“I will leave you to rest now,” Bloodhound said as they moved to their feet, standing high over Elliott’s bed, “May the Gods grace you with a speedy recovery.” Before Elliott could respond they were already making their way out of the room.

“It’s a date then!” he called after them as the door shut.

The legend was left alone with his aching head and throbbing hand. However, knowing that once he was out of there he had a date with  _ Bloodhound _ made the pain more bearable.

✰ ☽ ☼ ☾ ✰


	2. Chapter 2

_ Maybe they ARE bringing me out here to kill me. _ The thought had come to mind once or twice as Elliott trudged through the thick, teeming woods. He swatted at the bugs that buzzed in his face.  _ Elliott, buddy, what did you get yourself into… _ After weeks of not so subtle reminders and teasing, he had finally gotten Bloodhound to agree to setting a date for their promised dinner, and today was that day.  _ Just a dinner. Just the two of us. _ The hunter was sure to make it clear that they were not interested in any sort of media appearance. They wanted no cameras, no fans, no interviews and no autographs. No matter how many times Elliott agreed they still hesitated. It was clear Bloodhound didn’t trust him and Elliott didn’t hold it against them, but he didn’t know how to change their mind.

Elliott gripped the trunk of a tree as he climbed over a sizable rock and stumbled down the direction he was left from Bloodhound. It wasn’t until Elliott asked them to pick the place when they finally arranged something concrete. They almost seemed excited once they thought it over. However they never did say  _ where _ their date was going to take place. Instead of discussing it through a text or phone call, Bloodhound, in their classic cryptic fashion, had left a note on Elliott’s desk. No name, or even words. Just a date and coordinates scrawled out in jet black ink. If it wasn’t for the deep pigment on the numbers, Elliott might have thought someone was out to kill him. Thankfully, he recognized it from Bloodhound’s autograph, they only ever signed with that specific ink. Maybe they made it themselves, or perhaps had it specially made. It could’ve been anything with them. 

The man supposed that was part of the allure; The mystery that shrouded the hunter everywhere they went. He didn’t know how they did it, how they could be so unknown.  _ Hell, even Crypto has a first name… Kim… What a dork.  _ Elliott chuckled to himself as he shimmied through bushes and took large steps around fallen logs and piles of nature debris. Not just anyone could bring him out to the middle of nowhere for a date. Bloodhound was different. They were the most unique person he’d ever met and he was grateful they even gave him the time of day. He remembered the looks on the faces of his fellow legends when he bragged on the dropship home. None of them believed him. Most of them still didn’t. Ajay and Anita were the only two he had been able to convince and that was only after he’d gone to them for help with figuring out the coordinates. He knew very well how lucky he was to get the hunter’s attention.

As he crashed through another set of thick shrubbery, Elliott figured it was a good time to glance at those coordinates again. He’d been traveling through the dense woods for about an hour and he hadn’t found a single clearing let alone a trail.  _ Maybe it’s a test… _ He didn’t want Bloodhound to think he couldn’t hang. Of course he could hang. They might’ve been the greatest hunter in the Outlands but he was Elliott Witt and he was… Well he wasn’t much but at the very least he was going to do his best to keep up. He fumbled with the paper in his pocket, comparing the numbers on the paper with the numbers on his watch, everything appeared to line up. The man straightened himself, looking around the area and assessing his surroundings.

A sight of a thriving forest greeted him; In the years since the war, life had really begun to spring back in the Outlands. While it was beautiful, Elliott felt like he wasn’t supposed to be so deep in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps Bloodhound did prefer a secluded woodsy spot for their date, but there wasn’t a spot around to  _ sit _ let alone eat. The man’s stomach knotted as anxiety began to twist in his gut. Suddenly all he could think about were all the teasing the girls did while he was getting ready that morning.  _ “I bet it’s a trap!” _ Anita had laughed. Elliott had expected her to pull his leg but Ajay wasn’t any better chiming in with her own thoughts on the matter,  _ “They finally found a way to get rid of ya’. I don’t blame ‘em, you haven’t shut up about this since they yes said. I’ve been half wishin’ they’d shoot ya again.” _

It wasn’t funny when they had said it, but now that Elliott was faced with reality that he may have walked into a trap, it was scaring the hell out of him.

“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath, “They couldn’t have just stood me up like a normal person?” His heart quickened as he began to look around the trees for any sign of Bloodhound, either waiting to greet him or poised to attack.  _ Who am I kidding, I’d never even see them coming! _ They were the  _ greatest _ hunter after all, not just the mostly-good hunter, Elliott knew didn’t stand a chance against them outside of the games; Hell, he hardly stood a chance  _ in _ the games. The only reason he even landed this date was from them sniping him out cold. That alone had taken him out of the games for an entire week until he could move his fingers enough to pull a trigger. A flood of terrible thoughts and images began to fill his mind as he searched his surroundings. No one knew why Bloodhound was in the games, no one knew anything about them.  _ No one could charge them with my murder. _ Elliott shook his head.  _ No, I’m being an idiot. _ He couldn’t forget the way Bloodhound seemed to light up when they decided on their date. It didn’t seem like calculated bloodlust; If he didn’t know any better Elliott would say that they were almost… Excited. Maybe he was being full of himself to think they would be excited to spend any amount of time with him, but something in his gut made him feel like they weren’t lying. It was hard to tell when they always wore their gear. One outfit or another, they’d never been seen with so much as their gloves off, even during the rare occasions they participated during the legend-dorm game nights.

Elliott examined the coordinates again, certain that he must have gotten something wrong.  _ They wouldn’t lie… That’s not them. _ He squinted at the numbers, mumbling each one out loud to himself, double and triple checking that he hadn’t mixed any up. They all matched and the legend was on the verge of losing hope until his eyes settled on a small symbol near the beginning of the numbers.

“ _ Fuck! _ ” If he had less control of his temper, Elliott might’ve crumpled up the paper and thrown his watch into the hills. He discovered that he had gone to the correct location... but he went the opposite direction. “No wonder there was no friggen path!” he shouted at nothing, kicking a rock and sending it flying. The impact scuffed the front of his boot and he let out a groan. “These were  _ new! _ ”  _ So much for looking nice…  _ He turned around and looked back at the miles he had already walked, then up to the sun in the sky. It would be nightfall by the time he made it to where they were supposed to meet, three hours past the time they had arranged for. Elliott wanted to scream. So he did. Letting out a frustrated groan and pulling at his hair. He wondered if it was even worth it.  _ There’s no way they’re still going to be there. _ They would probably think he flaked on them and would be gone long before he arrived.

Elliott shoved the paper back into his pocket and put his face in his hands, letting out one more groan before taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts. He had begged Bloodhound for this for weeks, he wasn’t going to just turn back now. With determination building in his chest, Elliott started back the way he came. No matter what, he was going to show up.

✰ ☽ ☼ ☾ ✰

After a grueling two additional hours of hiking, Elliott was exhausted. He had sweat through his clothes which were now covered in dirt and leaves, any hint that he had tried to make himself look nice was long erased. He was frazzled and his limbs ached, worst of all his hair was a  _ mess. _ By the time he reached the  _ correct _ coordinates, he was just grateful he got to stop moving. The man stumbled through the brush into a small clearing on the hillside. It was only now he realized how high up the trail had taken him. The clearing was around fifteen feet wide, enough space to sit, but small enough that he had to be cautious to not maneuver so close to the edge. His stomach turned as he saw how steep the drop was only a few feet away.

“Mirage,” a familiar voice called out, “You made it after all.”

Everything in Elliott shot to attention hearing their voice, his head snapping up and looking over to their direction. There was Bloodhound, sitting with their legs dangling off of the cliffside. They waved him over and Elliott couldn’t move fast enough to their side, a wide grin breaking across his face. “I-I’m real sorry I’m late,” he started, already preparing a sea of apologies for the delay. His words were cut off as Bloodhound raised a hand to quiet him.

“Don’t be foolish,” they insisted, “Come, take a seat. You are just in time.” Elliott hesitated a moment, knowing for sure he was beyond late for the time they agreed on, but he didn’t argue. Instead he did as they suggested and took a seat near them. “Look, there.” They stretched out their hand and pointed towards the sky. Elliott’s eyes followed to find a clear sky filled with bright twinkling stars. Since he settled in Angel City, Elliott hadn’t seen much of the sky, and if he did most of the stars were washed out by the lights from the constantly buzzing city. He was taken aback with how crystal clear the universe was around them. The sight made him feel miniscule but in a way that was almost… Relieving. “It should start any minute now,” Bloodhound’s voice had pulled the man back into reality.

“Start?” Elliott asked, perplexed. Wasn’t this the grand view? He hadn’t seen a sky like this since he was a kid. Before he could ask anymore questions, a bright light flashed across the sky. He’d almost missed it. Seconds later there was another, and then another until the sky was filled with streaks of light. It looked as if it were raining stars. The sight took his breath away.

“It is beautiful, yes?” they asked quietly. Elliott turned to see that their attention was fixed on him rather than stars above. The man’s eyes locked with the dark lenses across from him. He’d never been so close to them before. From this distance, he could see the twinkle of the lights reflecting off of their goggles. Something about the sight of them under the stars caused Elliott to feel every word he’s ever said get caught up in his throat. So he simply nodded to their question. They seemed to pause, but only for a moment before turning their face back to the stars. Elliott hesitated, unwilling to pull his eyes away so quickly, but ultimately followed their lead. The stars were still just as beautiful as they shot through the jet black sky, but all Elliott could think about were how they had twinkled in the lenses of Bloodhound’s mask.

“I… I’m happy you stuck around,” Elliott mumbled out sheepishly, not brave enough to face them as he spoke.

“I’m happy you came,” they replied simply.

They didn’t speak again, instead opting to watch the stars fall in a comfortable silence. Elliott entertained the idea of leaning on their shoulder, but decided not to push his luck. What they had was nice, he wasn’t going to risk messing it up now.

✰ ☽ ☼ ☾ ✰

After the last stars had made their journey across the sky, Elliott and Bloodhound were left to a quiet night with not much more than each other’s company. The silence that felt so comfortable not too long ago was now beginning to feel suffocating. Anxiety began to well in Elliott’s chest. It wasn’t the same twisting in his gut like when he thought they brought him out there to kill him, it was worse. He was worried he was going to say the wrong thing and annoy them. Before he got the chance to position his foot in his mouth, his stomach grumbled loudly, drawing the attention of both the legends. Bloodhound chuckled and Elliott felt his face get hot.

“Any chance there’s leftovers?” Elliott asked sheepishly, remembering that they were supposed to have eaten some hours ago. Bloodhound shook their head and he felt his heart sink.

“I’m afraid the food grew cold long before you arrived..”

“Well I can eat cold food no problem--”

“...And I assumed you were not coming and fed it to some passing beasts.”

Elliott couldn’t stop himself from frowning. He wasn’t upset, they couldn’t have known he was going to be stumbling through the trees three hours late, but man was he  _ starving _ . His stomach growled again and he did his best to muffle the sound, wrapping his arms around his gut. Bloodhound sat up and began rummaging through one of their pouches before bringing out a bundle of paper wrapped tight with twine. Elliott watched as they smoothly unwound the twine, pulling back the brown paper to reveal thick strips of dried meat hiding inside. The man was already beginning to salivate as Bloodhound tore off a chunk and offered it to him. He took the piece quickly, not hesitating to cram the meat into his mouth, ripping off a hunk and chewing ferociously. He didn’t register taste until he’d gotten to his third bite, by then the strange savory flavor was all that filled his mouth. It was spiced with something unfamiliar but ultimately it was edible and he was starving, which meant it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.

When he’d scarfed down the piece given to him by Bloodhound, he glanced back up to the hunter and back down to the rest of the meat in their hands. They didn’t say another word, instead they simply offered the bundle out to him. He reached for it slowly, unsure if he could really take all of it. They nodded and held it out further until Elliott snatched it up. The man tried not to think about the small buzzing that was left in his fingers as they brushed against theirs, instead he focused on stuffing more of the tough meat into his mouth, inhaling it at lightning speeds.

“I would ask if you like it, but it seems to be of your taste,” Bloodhound spoke finally, “Should I offer you some of Artur’s seed as well? I fear the meat may not be enough to satiate you.”

Elliott looked over to meet Bloodhound’s gaze as he chewed, ready to ask if bird seed was edible before he realized they were joking with him. He could feel his face burning up again and they chuckled, only intensifying the heat in his cheeks. “Sorry,” he said as he swallowed the hunk of meat in his mouth, “You probably think I’m a pig.”

“I think no such thing,” they said confidently, “The journey here was long, it would build an appetite in anyone.”

“Yeah,” he sighed thinking about his three hour trek, “I’m really sorry by the way. I’m an idiot and went the wrong way. I’m not used to following coordinates. I swear I tried to get here on time.”

“Do not fret,” the hunter insisted, finally moving to their feet and dusting themselves off. They stretched out a hand to Elliott, lifting him up once he took it. “You did not know your destination, yet you arrived regardless. I admire that.” If Elliott was getting pink before, he was really red now. He didn’t know how to respond to the compliment. “Unfortunately I do not believe you will make it back on time.”

“O-On time?” Elliott asked, beginning to wrap up the last of spiced jerky, “What do you mean?” Bloodhound pointed to the sky, and Elliott found himself looking back up once again. The stars still shone brightly and unashamed, but in the distance he could see the slow creeping of dark clouds. He swallowed hard. “Oh geeze…”

Bloodhound exhaled heavily, a sound something close to a sigh coming filtered through their mask. “I can escort you back to your transport but I’m afraid we will certainly get caught in the storm.”

“Do we have any other options?”

“Well… I do have a place we can rest for the night. If you do not mind a night away from home. We can return you at first light.”

Elliott thought about his options, watching as the menacing clouds rolled closer.  _ A night with Bloodhound? _ It was something he couldn’t picture even with them standing a foot away.  _ Well… I got this far didn’t I? _ The man nodded. “Yeah. Yeah I can handle a night away from home. I’m not afraid or anything. After all, it's more convi-con-conva…. I-It’s just easier.” He didn’t need to risk hypothermia in the rain when Bloodhound was offering him a warm place to sleep.

“Excellent, then we better get moving,” they said, already starting into the woods, “It is a shorter trip, but still a journey. We must move quickly to avoid the storm.”

✰ ☽ ☼ ☾ ✰


	3. Chapter 3

If Elliott had been tired when he arrived at their first meeting spot, he was nearing death by the time they made it to their next destination. It was still a few miles of hiking before Bloodhound had finally slowed to a stop. During the trip they were nearly impossible to keep up with. They seemed to know every twist and rock in their path while Elliott stumbled and tripped behind them in the dark. There were several times where they had to turn back or simply wait for him to catch up before continuing. It was obvious they were unused to having such a slow companion, but Elliott was just thankful they didn’t leave him behind.

The hunter approached the mouth of a large cave before disappearing into the darkness inside of it. Elliott gawked, completely stunned.  _ This… This is the place? _ It was a literal cave, cut deep into the side of a mountain. The man wondered if this was a joke, looking around for some sign of a cabin he hoped they were hiding. Thunder cracked in the sky above him and he quickly accepted the cave, scurrying his way into the darkness after Bloodhound.

The pitch black of the cave soon gave way as small sparks of light erupted and a fire bloomed towards the back of the cavern. Bloodhound was crouched over a fire pit, tending to the kindling as the flame came to life. Elliott watched the orange light flicker over their lenses, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Nice place,” he said, looking around now that the fire was illuminating the room. It was clear the hunter had been there many times. There were pelts, tanned and stretched out on posts along the walls. A workbench off in the corner, piled on top were traps and gadgets the man had never seen in his life. The pit holding their flame was filled with the ashes of past fires. The cave was certainly well toiled. “Do you come here a lot?”

“Not as often as I once did,” they said, “It has been some time, but with our return to Talos I’ve been able to visit again.” They motioned for him to join them by the fire, patting the soft pelt they sat on. Elliott followed obediently, eager to move away from the cool breeze that came from the opening of the cave. He took a seat next to them, the pelt wasn’t very large which placed him much closer than he had been when they sat on the cliffside. His heart quickened as he settled at their side, watching them prod at the flame with a long branch. The logs in the fire tumbled, sending a small splash of sparks upwards. Elliott glanced over to Bloodhound, watching the flash in their lenses once again. It calmed him.

“Is Talos… Your home?” he asked curiously. The hunter didn’t answer. Elliott paused for a moment before trying again. “Did you grow up here?” Once again, the hunter didn’t respond, only turning their head away from him. The man felt like he was quickly losing whatever footing he had built with them. “The stars were amazing,” he blurted, watching them pause, he took that as his cue to continue, “Everything about this place is amazing,” he went on, “Even when I was lost I couldn’t be mad because… What a place to be lost right? It’s gorgeous out here. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a place like this on Solace.” Granted, he hadn’t left the city much once he moved on his own, but what he said was still true.

Bloodhound turned back to Elliott and he watched the way their head tilted when they spoke, the danglies on their helmet clinking together as they did, “Solace had it’s charms… But I am happy the games have brought us here. I wondered when my path would lead me back to Talos.” Before Elliott could follow up, Bloodhound had moved to their feet and made their way over to the worktable. They began to carefully detach all the dials and gadgets from their jacket and lay them out on the table. Once their jacket was cleared they unhooked the tubes from their mask and slipped off their coat.

Elliott looked away, feeling like he was witnessing something scandalous. He looked up when he heard them at the firepit, beginning to pour sand atop it. It was odd to see them without their fur collar or tubing sprouting from their mask and body, but it was more akin to someone shaving a pet instead of seeing someone naked. The man’s glimpse was only for a moment before the fire was extinguished and he was left in the darkness. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim light but eventually they did and he watched Bloodhound’s silhouette slink away from the firepit and back to the workbench.

“Why’d you put it out?” Elliott asked, feeling the hair on the back of his neck begin to raise.

“I do not think it is wise to leave a fire unattended while we sleep,” they said plainly. Elliott could hear some shuffling in the darkness but couldn’t make out anything.

“It’s going to get pretty cold though, isn’t it?” Rain had been pouring over the mouth of the cave for the past few minutes and it appeared to only have intentions of getting worse. “Between the wind and whatever water it blows in…”

“Do not fret,” Bloodhound assured, Elliott could hear their footsteps approaching until they stood at his back. There was a pause before they draped their coat around his shoulders, it was still warm and Elliott could feel it’s heat seep into him almost instantly. “I have got you covered.”

“Was that a pun?” Elliott laughed, “I didn’t know the greatest hunter in the Outlands made puns.”

“I am a hunter with many skills,” they chuckled, “It is wise not to underestimate me.” Elliott felt his stomach do a flip at the sound. Without their tubing and gear, their voice lost the mechanical buzz it usually had, leaving them with something more authentic. The sound of heir voice coming clear rang in the man’s ears.

“Thanks Hound,” he said, hugging the jacket tighter around himself, “What about you? You can’t freeze to death, I don’t know how to get back to the transport from here.”

They chuckled again, their voice traveling from somewhere further in the cave. “I will be fine. I am used to the cold nights of Talos. Get your rest, we will leave at daybreak.”

Elliott huffed, “What? No way! Where’d you go? Come take your jacket!” The legend hopped to his feet and reached out only to swipe at the air. “Bloodhound?” The hunter didn’t respond. Elliott did his best to squint at the darkness in front of him but the moonlight coming from the entrance had waned rapidly as the storm rolled in. If he was a more prepared person, perhaps he would have brought a lighter, a flashlight, or maybe even his phone, but he was not a prepared person. He settled with walking around slowly, keeping his arms stretched out across from him. “Hound? Come on don’t be a jerk,” he whined, beginning to grow wary of completely face planting in the dark.  _ If I lose teeth over this… _ Elliott began to move even slower, toeing each inch of the floor before sliding himself forward, his arms still waving around in hopes of finding his fellow legend.

The familiar sound of their chuckle rang out from the left of him and he swirled around quickly, trying to lock onto the sound. This only made them laugh more. “Oh I’m on to you now, Buddy.” He could hear the sound of Bloodhound trying to stifle another laugh, Elliott couldn’t stop the smile splitting across his face as he tried to picture what that might look like. “You can see me, can’t you?” he ventured. Bloodhound was silent again, leaving Elliott without a direction to continue. “I bet you’re having a real kick out of this. Now I’m kind of glad we agreed to no cameras…” He tried not to think about how many embarrassing moments he’d had in the last twenty four hours, instead focusing on waving his arms around more in an attempt to find them.

“Be  _ careful _ ,” Bloodhound chided, they sounded irritated. Elliott stiffened, startled from how close their voice was. He crouched down slowly. He could he feel their warmth radiating off of them. “Congratulations, Mirage, but I will not be taking back the coat.”

“Then we’ll have to share it,” he blurted, not having thought his suggestion through as usual. “I-If you don’t mind. I know I stink but you at least have that mask on.” They chuckled again and Mirage felt lighter. He shrugged off the jacket and draped it across their lap, scooting over to take a seat next to them against the rock wall. “Woah… You’re a furnace holy cow,” he exclaimed, feeling the heat from their body come off in waves, “No wonder you weren’t worried about the jacket.”

“As I said, I am experienced with these cold nights,” they answered stiffly, Elliott felt them shrug their shoulders.

“That’s cool-- Well- I guess it isn’t  _ cool _ it’s warm but ‘warm’ isn’t really a thing,” he mumbled, “I guess there’s  _ hot _ but that has a totally different meaning--”

“ _ Mirage _ ,” Bloodhound interrupted, “I think we should get some sleep.”

“Oh, right, yeah for sure,” Elliott nodded, feeling his cheeks get hot, “Sleep tight, Bloodhound.” With his fellow legend falling silent, the sounds of the storm outside filled the cave. Mirage shut his eyes and tried to let sleep take him, imagining himself at home listening to a rain soundtrack. In his mind’s eye Bloodhound’s body heart became the radiating heart of a space heater and with that he was able to fool himself into a decent slumber.

✰ ☽ ☼ ☾ ✰


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Elliott awoke feeling warm and well rested. Slowly but surely the memories of the day before came flooding back to him. Elliott opened his eyes but didn’t move, he found himself completely entangled with Bloodhound. His arms wrapped right around their waist, head nuzzled against their chest, and both their legs a jumbled mess with their jacket twisted up around them. His heart began to pound, fearing how the hunter would react to him invading their personal space as they slept. Elliott shut his eyes again, wondering what he was supposed to do. That was when he noticed the soft brush of a hand on his back and the gentle rubbing of a thumb on the outside of his shirt. It was comforting, and Elliott felt himself begin to relax.  _ They’re awake after all. _

“Mirage,” they spoke quietly, “I believe it is long past when we should have left.” Elliott didn’t move, and Bloodhound made no attempt to move him, their thumb still stroking lazily against his back. The man wondered if they could feel how hard his heart was pounding in his chest. Elliott creaked open his eyes again and looked out towards the exit of the cave. Daylight was pouring in freely now, the sun was sitting high in the sky and the forest was once again teeming with life. The night’s storm had been completely forgotten.

“So much for leaving at daybreak,” Elliott chuckled, his voice still gruff from the sleep sticking to it.

“I apologize,” Bloodhound answered, “I could not wake you.”

“My bad, I guess I’m a heavy sleeper.”

“No,” they said, shifting slightly but still keeping their arm placed over his back, “I did not try. You looked… Comfortable. After yesterday I did not want you to go into today’s game with your energy depleted.”

“Game?” Elliott asked, finally lifting his head to peer up at them. That was when the rest of reality sunk in and the man shot up instantly. “Oh god we have a  _ game _ today!” Leave it to Elliott to forget about his own job. He unwound himself from Bloodhound, rushing to his feet. For a moment he thought he could see their shoulders slump, but they were on their feet just as quickly, slipping back into their jacket as if they had never removed it. The hunter made their way to the work table and began to reattach all their gadgets. “A-Are we going to make it in time?” Elliott asked as he watched them slowly and carefully fasten each piece back into its rightful place.

“Do not fret, I know these woods well. We can make it back to your transport in time.”

“We still have to drive all the way to the dropship before take off,” he groaned, “I’m not going to have  _ any _ time to get ready. I’ll be lucky to fit a shower in. God I’m gonna look like such a mess. What if I get another highlight? I can’t have my hair looking like this.” Elliott began to pace around the cave, anxiety creeping into his gut as he thought about the disaster of a day waiting for him. “I don’t think I even have my normal shoes in my bag… Would these hiking boots even match my outfit? They’re so heavy, it’s going to look like I’m running around with bricks on my feet.  _ That _ ’s an image I can already see on the magazines. This is going to be a ca-cat-catas- It’s going to be awful! How am I gon--”

Strong arms had wrapped themselves around Elliott’s waist, extinguishing any train of thought he had. In one quick motion Bloodhound lifted the man up and slung him over their shoulder. The man was stunned as he was carried effortlessly out of the cave, squinting as the bright sunlight assaulted his vision. For a few moments he didn’t know how to respond, he hadn’t been carried in his adult life by anyone, let alone by a fellow legend.

“If you want time to get ready,” Bloodhound finally spoke as they navigated through the woods, “This will be much faster.” As much as he wanted to argue, Elliott knew they were right. It had taken him hours to traverse the woods on his own, and he wasn’t any faster when he was trying to keep pace with Bloodhound. So he decided to sit tight and let them lead the charge, dangling over their shoulder like a hunted animal. Pathetic? Maybe, but not the worst of situations he’d been caught in.  _ At least it’s not on camera. _ For the once he was actually glad he left the limelight behind.

✰ ☽ ☼ ☾ ✰

Even with a grown man slung over their shoulder, Bloodhound moved through the forest with speed and grace. They only stopped once, allowing Elliott to climb onto their back after complaining about all the blood rushing to his head. Once he was readjusted, they were back on the move, picking right back up at their quick pace. At some point Elliott had dozed off, between the serene sound of the lively forest and Bloodhound’s liquid smooth movement, it was the perfect recipe for a midday nap.

Bloodhound only woke Elliott once they reached the transport, carefully shifting him off of their back and onto the ground. The man yawned, still feeling groggy. His hands fumbled around his pockets for the keys. When he fished them out, they were only his grip for a second before Bloodhound swiped them from his hands. He frowned and looked up to the hunter, his brows scrunched together.

“I will drive,” they insisted, opening Elliott’s door for him, “You will rest. You need your strength.”

“And you dont?” he pouted, crossing his arms, “You just carried me on your back for miles, Hound. Let me drive,  _ you _ can sleep.” The hunter didn’t budge, only motioning for him to get into the car. Elliott grumbled but relented, getting into the passenger side of the vehicle. Bloodhound shut his door and made their way to the driver’s seat. Elliott watched them put in the keys and turn the engine to life. The sight made him chuckle.

“Something wrong?” they asked as they began to turn back onto the road.

“It’s just weird,” Elliott admitted sheepishly, “I didn’t know you could drive.”

“I can do many things,” Bloodhound answered, keeping their focus on the rough dirt road ahead of them, “I have told you before that it is wise not to underestimate me, Mirage.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

✰ ☽ ☼ ☾ ✰

Against all odds, Bloodhound had gotten the two of them out of the forest and back to the dropship station with time to spare. Elliott had slept the entire drive, not stirring until the engine was cut off and Bloodhound was gently nudging his shoulder. The man yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he tried to get his bearings.

“Wow, here already?” he asked mid-yawn.

“Yes.”

“Geeze, Hound,” he laughed, “How fast were you driving?”

“Only as fast as necessary,” they answered too confidently. Elliott made a mental note to keep the keys to his transport next time.

“Well, we’re here in one piece so I guess that’s all that matters.” Bloodhound nodded and went to leave the vehicle but Elliott’s hand stopped them, moving faster than his brain. They paused and looked back at him expectantly while he scrambled for something to say. “Uh… Thanks, by the way.”

“I said I would deliver you on time.”

“No, not for that. I-I mean yes for that, definitely thank you for that… But I mean for the date. I know I was late and ruined the whole thing… Thanks for sticking around anyways.”

The hunter paused, Elliott felt their dark lenses staring through him as he waited for a response.

“Thank you for coming,” they answered with a nod, “It was… Nice.”

“I promise the next one will be better.”

“We will see about that,” they laughed, the dangles on their helmet clinking against each other as they did. Elliott felt his heart flutter. “See you inside, Felagi.”

“Y-Yeah… I’ll see you in there.” Elliott watched as Bloodhound slipped from his hands and left the transport, shutting the door behind them and heading inside. The legend took a moment to gather himself, not wanting to return to the group a flustered mess.  _ Oh god… Do I… _ He didn’t let himself finish the thought, shaking his head and sighing before hopping out of the car and heading up to the dropship.

When he got inside, he arrived to the sight of Bloodhound standing in the common area, their back to him as they spoke to Anita and Ajay. Elliott could see their panic stricken faces from where he was. Curious, he wandered over to see what they were talking about. When Ajay made eye contact with him, relief flashed across her face and she smacked Anita on the arm, motioning to Elliott. Bloodhound finally turned and offered him a small nod.

“Oh there you are,” they said.

“Yeah I’m here, what’s up?” Elliott asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Bloodhound here was just telling us about you getting lost in the woods,” Anita said pointedly, her arms crossed, “And about driving your transport back for you…”

“Geeze,” Elliott laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, “Already embarrassing me, Hound?”

“They asked where you were,” Bloodhound shrugged, “I was simply explaining.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling genuinely. The hunter must have had enough of conversations as they simply nodded and excused themselves to their room to prepare. The second they were out of sight Elliott felt a fist crash into his shoulder, nearly knocking him over. “Hey what the hell was that for?” he asked, pouting as he rubbed his arm.

“That’s for nearly getting yourself killed, you Bozo,” Anita lectured, “Getting lost in the woods? Letting Bloodhound take your transport? You have zero self preservation skills, Witt.”

“Aw c’mon it’s not like Bloodhound was actually gonna kill me out there,” he teased. The two girls were quiet, exchanging awkward glances with each other. “Wait, did you guys really think they were gonna kill me?”

“We’re just happy ya made it home in one piece, alright?” Ajay finally responded.

“Maybe next time don’t go on dates in deadzones,” Anita sighed, “Go hit the showers before we take off. You smell like a wild animal.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Elliott said, waving the two off as he left for the locker room, “See you guys in the game.”

“Seeya.”

“Bye.”

As Elliott finally got some time alone, he began to think about his date with Hound. Had he really been in any danger? He remembered the stars falling, and the way they looked in the reflection of their lenses. He thought about sleeping in the next morning, completely entangled with them, their thumb stroking soft circles on his shoulder. The man’s face was burning hot at the memory.  _ Do I… Am I seriously getting feelings for Bloodhound? _ He swallowed hard. Maybe going on a date with the hunter had been more dangerous than he thought. The legend hurried into the showers, hoping hot water would be enough to wash the thoughts out of his mind for at least the next couple hours.

**Author's Note:**

> helloooo!! thank u fr reading, i hope you enjoyed it! it turns out writing fics actually really helps when working on a book, so i'm going to try and get a little miragehound series going for as long as its fun to write  
> so far ive got this plotted out until the 3rd date, after that we'll see how it goes n.n
> 
> this series WILL be nsfw tho so fair warning! i'll b releasing this in a series so i can tag appropriately


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